


Ignite

by savant (teii)



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-27
Updated: 2014-11-27
Packaged: 2018-02-27 04:57:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2679983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teii/pseuds/savant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>“You're a witch,” the boy whispered in awe, as if Alex would suddenly cease to exist if he raised his voice any louder.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes, thank you for reminding me.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“But like, you just flew in, and you crashed into the town's square, knocked over about a dozen people, and almost kicked a chunk out of the founder's statue--”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes, thank you for reminding me of that as well,” Alex cuts off, his face growing hot.</em>
</p><p>Alex has no idea what he's doing. Hank does his best to help.</p><p>Kiki's Delivery Service AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ignite

“Sky's reported to be clear for the next few days, Alex.”

Alex looks over at the mess of glass apparatus and boiling concoctions in front of Charles, who's scribbling away in a leather-bound journal, head down in an attempt to sound casual.

Alex toys with a charm in front of him, finger smoothing over the insignia. “Didn't think you'd be so eager to kick me out, old man.”

Charles presses his lips together and a slow smile forms instead. “Not so, you of all people know you're more than welcome to return anytime.”

And he does. Alex knows he's lucky that someone like Charles took him into the mansion and out of the foster system, but for a man who's so intent on 'pushing the boundaries of alchemy and the natural sciences', he was quite a stickler for traditions.

“It'd be good for you. You can see the world, meet new people, get stronger. You know. Young people things.”

“And I can't do that here?”

“When was the last time you met anyone new? And your age?”

Alex turns away, now drumming his fingers on the table before him. He's put off his journey for three years now, citing one reason or another, most of all its archaic nature. Besides, with Charles haphazard adopting policy, there's more than a number of magic-slinging scamps running underfoot in the mansion. It's a job in of itself to wrangle them all into any semblance of order and Alex is slowly coming around to the fact that he's merely playing the longest game of tag with them.

“It's just a year,” Charles reminds him. “Just one, and you'll be back before you know it.”

“Fine,” Alex huffs, shoving his hands into his pockets as he stands up, the chair scraping loudly underneath him.

“It's not so bad, Alex, I think you'll have fun.” Charles adds, only to look up and find Alex already gone.

–

“I'll be gone for some time, Scott.” Alex announces, pulling the blanket over the boy.

“Why?”

“To train.”

“Why?”

“To be a better witch.”

“Why?”

“Because I don't want to become a worse witch.”

“Why?”

“Why you...” Alex grabs at the boy, putting him a headlock as he musses up the young boy's hair. Scott laughs, squirming in Alex's grip. Eventually, Alex lets go, but Scott still clutches onto his shirt sleeve.

“Why can't I see you off?”

“I'm leaving at midnight, you'll be asleep by then.”

“I'll stay up, promise! I'm not tired at all!” Scott balks, but it's punctured by a reluctant yawn.

“It's more important that you sleep,” Alex says, tucking him back in. “Charles will have a lot of stuff for you to do tomorrow.”

“But that's everyday,” Scott whines.

“Even if you do see me off, all I'm doing is kicking off, and that's no fun at all, is it?”

“Yeah, you never really liked doing tricks, so your flights are pretty boring.”

“Oh really?” Alex smirks, before grabbing one of Scott's cheeks, pinching it.

“Alexxxxxxx!”

Alex lets go, settling his hand on Scott's head instead. “Be good, ok?”

“I can be good without you telling me to be.” Scott huffs, before pressing his face into Alex's chest as his arms squeezes the older boy into a tight hug.

“I'll miss you.”

Alex squeezes back. “I'll miss you too.”

\--

It is a clear night, just as Charles said it would be. Alex strolls onto the grassy slope, with his travel bag hanging on one shoulder.

“Oh, Alex,” Charles sighs upon seeing the leather jacket Alex is wearing.

“At least it's black,” Alex counters.

“That it is,” Charles agrees, not wanting to put up a fight. He holds out a broom.

Alex balks, crossing his arms. “Really? _Really_?”

“Please, for all our sakes, take it. The flight will be good for you.”

Alex throws up his hands in disbelief. “What century is this? Every time I ride even a mile away from the mansion, I get some commercial jet radioing me to tell me to leave their airspace. What if it rains? Or snows?”

“It's July, Alex.” Charles patiently reminds him.

“It could still rain,” Alex mutters, snatching the broom out of Charles' hands and exchanging it for the train ticket he had bought the other day.

“Clear skies up until next Tuesday. Unless you're planning to fly all the way across the contingent United States...”

“Right. No.”

“Well then, this is for you,” Charles hands over a map. “I marked all the nice towns and cities that you might want to settle down in.”

“I see,” Alex says, unfolding the map to find the whole thing covered in circles.

“Are you sure you don't need me to send money?”

“If I do, I'll call,” Alex airily promises, swinging a leg over the broom as he gets ready for his flight.

“Don't be too hard on yourself out there, ok?” Charles calls out, watching Alex ascend.

Alex laughs, as the wind whips around him. “If I'm not going to, who will?”

\--

He glides into the dark, led by the moon. He could speed up, get it over with, but without a clear destination, instead he takes the time to skim along the trees, fly upside-down, and perform a few loop-de-loops. He lets himself smile.

It's not long afterwards though, that he finds himself completely lost. He frowns, noticing that he hasn't seen any sort of landmark or town in awhile and pulls out the map from within his jacket, but the wind rips it from him, sending it to fly off in the opposite direction. Tightening his hold on his broom, Alex grits his teeth, suddenly not interested in taking in the scenery.

It's only a few miles later when he spots something in the sky, zooming along almost parallel to him as it descends from the clouds. Alex pulls up and finds a woman with long white hair and a flowing outfit to match perched on a broom.

If he didn't know any better, Alex would have said he'd seen a ghost. And even if it was, he'd might be able to get some directions out of her.

Pulling himself up, he steers his way over alongside her. “Hey.”

The woman adamantly looks forward. “No thank you, I'm already in a pact that I'm very happy with.”

“I'm not trying to get you to join anything!” Alex shouts, and in his carelessness, tips his broom a bit too far, causing him to dive a bit. He rights himself next to the witch again, who has a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

“Nice night for a ride,” she says lightly, the wind whipping her hair back.

“Yeah. Sure. If you know where you're going.”

The woman finally turns her head to face him. “You seem a bit old to start your Year now.”

Alex looks away. “Couldn't find the time.”

The woman thankfully changes the subject for him. “It's a pleasant surprise though, you don't see many of our kind flying anymore.”

“Too many perks for staying on the ground. The skies aren't ours anymore.”

“I don't think they ever were." A pause. "There's not much need for flying nowadays. It's still fun, though, isn't it?” She takes a deep breath, her eyes closing for a moment.

“So where are we anyways?”

“We just passed Pittsburg not long ago.”

Alex starts, almost losing his balance. “What, really?”

She tilts her head. “Is there something wrong about the Midwest?”

“No, I just-- dammit, I'm behind schedule.”

“Strange that you have a schedule when you don't know where you're going.”

There's a long pause as Alex swallows his pride.

“...where do you think I should go?”

“Where do you want to go?”

“I...”

Half the fun of the Year is picking your town, isn't it?”

“Yeah, but...”

“Don't worry about it, if you don't like the place, you can always move, can't you?” The woman looks down, evidently spotting something down below as she tilts her broom downwards. “This is my stop. Good luck!”

Alex holds up a hand in a wave, watching her descend into a cluster of lights.

“Don't make this so hard for yourself,” he murmurs to himself, and with that, he zips his jacket up all the way, and ascends above the clouds, into the unknown.


End file.
